Yahoo, Sprint Deliver Mobile E-Mail

Further extending its reach from PC to cell phone, Yahoo said a downloadable e-mail client is now available on Sprint devices.

Yahoo Mail for Mobile, which works through a PC-like interface, costs $2.99
per month and can be accessed from six phones, including Vision Multimedia
handsets from Sanyo and Treo devices from palmOne. It also allows users to
store e-mails.

Subscribers can purchase the service directly from the handset, with charges
appearing on their monthly Sprint bill. They can also opt for instant
notification of new messages for an additional fee.

“The revenue will be shared between both parties, but the terms of the deal
are not being disclosed,” Leslie Stafford, a Sprint spokeswoman, told
internetnews.com.

Yahoo’s Web-based e-mail service competes with Google’s Gmail and Microsoft’s
Hotmail. In recent years, the online players have constantly tried to one-up
each other by adding storage, increased security measures and other
features.

“Yahoo’s products and services have become an essential part of the lives of
millions of consumers, and we are focused on extending those services to
mobile devices to provide an integrated experience for our loyal consumers
whenever, wherever and however they may access the Web,” Nicole Leverich, a
Yahoo spokeswoman, said.

Yahoo and Sprint signed their first Web content deal in 1999. Since then, Yahoo has put mobile versions of its photo service, instant messaging, search and games on Sprint phones.

Yahoo also works with other carriers, including Verizon Wireless , Nextel and T-Mobile.

For Sprint, the agreement recognizes the importance of mobile data and could
prevent customers from switching to Blackberry devices for wireless e-mail.

The wireless channel is increasingly important for Sprint, as traditional
wireline phone service becomes more challenging. Added features could raise
revenue, as well as differentiate it in a competitive market.